Ukraine welcomes the approval by the European Parliament of a new macro-financial assistance in the amount of EUR 18 billion for 2023 and is waiting for the Council of the European Union to make the final decision soon, implement all necessary procedures and prepare relevant documents, Finance Minister of Ukraine Serhiy Marchenko has said.

"We are expecting to receive the first tranche of EUR 3 billion in January," he said on air of the national telethon on Wednesday.

The minister also said that it is about a long-term loan for a period of more than 20 years at an interest rate of around 3-4% within a level of risk of the European Commission.